Criminology graduate, 30, who turned theory into practice to carry out 18 robberies over nine months is jailed for 15 years

• Kudakwashe Chowa, 30, carried out his crime spree across the West Midlands
• CCTV shows the masked robber threatening staff with a knife
• He admitted six robberies and jailed for 15 years at Birmingham Crown Court 

A criminology graduate turned theory into practice to carry out 18 armed robberies within the space of nine months. 

Kudakwashe Chowa used his knowledge of ‘police and forensic tactics’ to plan and execute the heists across the West Midlands.

During one robbery CCTV footage showed the law graduate threatening shop staff with a knife.

The 30-year-old targeted a bank, supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations during his crime spree between February and October last year.   

Chowa was captured on security cameras as he burst into the buildings before holding shop workers at knifepoint and on one occasion used a gun.

In the footage Chowa can be brandishing a blade after robbing a garage, leaving a knife atop a counter wile ransacking a till, and vaulting over a counter with a knife in his hand.  

A court heard he used his his ‘educated background’ as a university law graduate to avoid being captured by switching mobile phones and destroying evidence.

But the brazen thug was finally caught in November after he carried out a robbery at a Lloyds bank using a BB gun and was identified by CCTV and DNA evidence.

Chowa was also filmed on CCTV paying in old £50 notes and damaged notes stolen from the bank into his own account.

Kudakwashe Chowa, 30, targeted a bank, supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations during his crime spree between February and October last year

CCTV caught Chowa carrying a blade after he robbed a garage. He sed his knowledge of ‘police and forensic tactics’ to plan and execute the heists across the West Midlands

Officers swooped at his home to arrest him and also seized the BB gun packaging and a money bag stolen in the robbery.

Chowa, of Erdington, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to six armed robberies and asked for 12 other robbery offences to be taken into consideration.

Yesterday he was jailed for 15 years at Birmingham Crown Court and was branded a ‘menace to society’ after sentencing.

The court was told how he targeted retail premises across Birmingham and the Black Country and used a knife during 17 of the raids.

He escaped with more than £3,500 in cash from a bank in Acocks Green, Birmingham, and robbed the same service station twice in a matter of days.

Tejinder Sandhu, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘Kudakwashe Chowa was a menace to society and had no regard for the safety of staff who were just going about their daily business.

‘He used his educated background as a law graduate to plan and execute these robberies and attempted to get away with it by switching multiple mobile phones and destroying evidence.

‘At yesterday’s sentencing hearing, the court heard of the devastating effects his crimes had on numerous victims who were left scarred by his actions.

The masked robber approaches a counter in a Shell garage before carrying out a robbery. Chowa targeted retail premises across Birmingham and the Black Country and used a knife during 17 of the raids

CCTV shows Chowa threatening a staff member with a knife. He pleaded guilty to six armed robberies and asked for 12 other robbery offences to be taken into consideration

The armed robber leaves a knife atop a counter as he ransacks a till. He was described as ‘a menace to society and had no regard for the safety of staff’

Chowa is seen vaulting over a counter at a petrol station with a blade in his hand. He was jailed for 15 years at Birmingham Crown Court

 ‘He has now rightly received a lengthy sentence which reflects the severity of his offending and should serve as an example to other criminals.’

Detective Sergeant Curt Wilkins, of West Midlands Police, said: ‘This is testament to the hard work that was carried out by officers from the Birmingham East Robbery Team.

‘The initial attendance, the tenacity shown during hours of CCTV work, through to his arrest, evidence gathering at the scene, interview and the subsequent file of evidence that was prepared led to this fantastic result.

‘Chowa had attended a university course in criminology.

‘This would provide him with knowledge of police and forensic tactics.

‘He was brazen in his approach, but his luck finally ran out. He was presented with so much evidence that he had no alternative but to plead guilty to all offences.

‘These are serious offences reflected in the sentence, with many of the victims still impacted to this very day, hopefully this result provides them with some closure and an avenue for them to move forward in their lives knowing Chowa is behind bars.’

Source: Read Full Article